All through September, every DC issue on their main line is going to switch focus from heroes to villains. 52 one shots will take the place of the regular titles, each one telling a story with a different villain.
So far we’ve seen covers for Joker, Count Vertigo and Deadshot, all of which creep me the hell out because they’re 3D – as you can see in these pictures, which demonstrate the motion. This is apparently a new technology being unveiled especially for this promotion, as explained by Jim Lee:
It’s essentially artwork that’s been separated onto different layers, so when you hold the cover, which is a premium stock cover, and you slightly rotate the comic book left or right or up and down, the images move.
Which is interesting, and certainly helpful in getting attention on the shelf (which I still contend is one of the most important aspects of selling comics in the first place).
September will also see the launch of FOREVER EVIL, the first company-wide event crossover since the New 52 idea began. The event will be written by Geoff Johns and drawn by David Finch, and last seven issues.
Comic book pin-up Brian Truitt has full details on that over at USA Today, but it looks like the story will take place after the Trinity War crossover puts the three Justice League teams out of commission – leaving an opening for the villains of the DC Universe to take over.
Here’s the cover:
The story will cross into all kinds of other books, and three five-issue tie-in miniseries will also launch:
Forever Evil: Rogues by Brian Buccellato and Patrick Zircher, focusing on The Flash’s enemies.
Forever Evil: Arkham War by Peter Tomasi and Scot Eaton, focusing on Batman’s enemies.
Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. by Matt Kindt, dealing with the sinister Government agency.
If those animated images are *really* what the covers are going to look like, then I’m going to sell a TON more DC this September.
I guess my nine-year-old self would have been into these. I bought lots of Sportflics baseball cards back in the day. Now I’m just annoyed by the gimmick and 33% price increase. I’m curious how they’ll price the digital versions since they won’t have the weird paper stock costs to cover.
Brian, do you think it matters for retailers and customers that they raised the price for all these to $3.99? It seems high for one-shots featuring relatively obscure villains (First Born, The Ventriloquist, etc.). I’m sure the Joker and Lex will sell just fine.
My reaction to this is opposite of Brian from Secret Headquarters. Maybe he will sell a ton if them (hopefully for his sake he does), but as for myself, September will be a DC-free month for me. I’m not interested in any if these point-1 issues. I want to read my World’s Finest, Justice League Dark, Wonder Woman, Batman, etc. I don’t really give a crap about reading a story centered soecifically around Count Vertigo or [insert bland villain of the month] or even Lex Luthor.
Gimmick covers don’t entice me either (especially when they result in jacking up the price by an additional $1 — the extra cost isn’t a factor for me but I know there are plenty of other fans where that kind of increase can be a detriment).
How is this “new technology” any different thant he old lenticular covers like this?
http://www.comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=56236
I bought a Tribe Called Quest CD in 1996 that had the same effect. So, this new technology is a tacky music industry gimmick from the 90s? Sounds right…. I’m still seeing the world through my Valiant Vision glasses!
Same shit different day. I’d be more impressed with the Heroes Get a Clean Win and Nobody Gets Gored On The Last Page Month.
Rich, I think that if DC did a line-wide price hike to $3.99 without an added feature, it WOULD negatively affect sales. But a one-time “special” issue like these wouldn’t affect them long-term.
While a few customers (like @zombieundergrnd above) may skip the issues (as they have every right to), enough other people will pick up extra comics even if it is only for the cover. Most of them will read them, as well, and maybe some of them will like them enough to add them to their lists.
The key to THAT will be if DC’s writers have a plan to sustain interest from the gimmick issues to the next issue. I would LOVE to know if there is a plan. I don’t need to know what the plan IS, just that there is one.
Thanks, Brian. Appreciate the response.
I’ll be curious how my local shop will handle these. I’m even more curious how they’ll handle pull lists for the Batman subscribers given that BATMAN, DETECTIVE, and DARK KNIGHT all ship four times in September (so, 12 books instead of 3). I can imagine some surprised subscribers.
People with pull lists that have these comics on them should just ask their retailer to deposit the comics directly in the recycling bin.
Hmm that might be it for my interest in the New DC 52. I started out reading 26 of the original 52 and through attrition of cancellations, constant creative changes and just bad stroy telling I am down to 8 including Earth 2 from the second wave. Nothing else has made it since that is worth adding to me. Now charging me a $1 extra for a sales gimmick spike to give a bump into a cross-over is one mis-step too many. Looks like Astro City will be the only survivor.
The covers look cool. I’ll check them out at the store to see if the stories and art inside are cool too.
Comments are closed.